Bear Grylls Survival Academy

What Bear Grylls Survival Academy does

Bear Grylls Survival Academy (BGSA) is a UK-based survival training and adventure experience company founded in 2012 and operated through MEL Entertainment Ltd, a private limited company. The business delivers instructor-led survival courses, corporate team building events, and premium multi-day expeditions under the personal brand of Bear Grylls, the television survivalist and former SAS serviceman. The core curriculum covers shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, foraging, water purification, and wilderness first aid, and is offered in formats ranging from 2-hour introductory tasters to 9-day extreme expeditions to Antarctica and Morocco.

BGSA's product portfolio is organised into three commercial pillars. First, UK-direct courses and team building events are sold via the Guildford head office through phone, email, and website enquiry, priced per group (e.g., £2,750+VAT for a 1-day event for up to 16 participants, £5,950+VAT for a 2-day primal course). Second, premium expeditions such as The Trident and Sahara to Summit are distributed through specialist travel operators (Giltedge Travel, Ultimate Adventure Travel) that handle logistics and act as the booking interface. Third, an international licensing programme allows vetted partners — including Sani Resort (Greece), Founders Lodge/Mantis (South Africa), Parkdean Resorts (UK), NRMA Parks (Australia), Aiglon College (Switzerland), Huitong School (China), Hawar Resort (Bahrain), and Rocksport (India) — to operate BGSA-branded experiences at their own venues in exchange for licensing fees, brand standards, and instructor training.

The company serves a diversified customer base spanning corporate enterprise clients (50+ named logos including Red Bull, BAT, DHL, Vodafone, Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, BP, Google, AstraZeneca, GSK, Sony, and Zoom), families and individual adults attending survival courses, and resort/school guests accessing courses through licensee venues. The GTM motion combines direct enterprise field sales for UK corporate events, channel partners for expeditions, and a franchise-style licensee model for international consumer access. There is no proprietary software platform; the technology layer is limited to a content website, email newsletter, and standard enquiry workflows.

Name

Bear Grylls Survival Academy

Legal name

MEL Entertainment Ltd

Website

https://beargryllssurvivalacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bear Grylls Survival Academy is a UK-founded survival training and adventure experience company that delivers instructor-led survival courses, corporate team building events, and premium expeditions globally, serving enterprise clients, families, and individual adults under the Bear Grylls personal brand through a mix of direct sales and an international licensee network of 9+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Training

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Outdoor Training & Team-Building Programs (Experiential Learning) (THAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC), Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Cultural & Environmental Education Expeditions (Citizen Science, Conservation Volunteering) (THAAAOAH)

Keywords

• Survival training
• Outdoor adventure courses
• Corporate team building
• Wilderness experiences
• Expedition training

Headquarters

HQ city

Guildford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Survival Course Fees: Participants pay per-person or per-group fees to attend survival courses ranging from 2-hour teen/family tasters to 8-9 day expeditions. Courses are priced individually per product. Payment is taken at booking with deposit models for extreme courses.
2. Corporate Team Building Events: Companies and organisations book bespoke outdoor team building events with BGSA instructors. Packages are priced per group (e.g., £2,750 + VAT for up to 16 participants for a 1-day experience). A 25% non-refundable deposit secures the booking.
3. Expedition Bookings (via Partners): Premium multi-day expeditions (The Trident at ~£TBD per person, Sahara to Summit at £2,530 per person) are booked through partner travel operators Giltedge Travel and Ultimate Adventure Travel who handle logistics and payments. BGSA receives revenue for the programme delivery.
4. Licensee Fees: Third parties (hotels, resorts, schools, adventure companies) pay to become BGSA licensees, gaining rights to operate BGSA-branded survival experiences at their locations. Licensee enquiry process requires audited accounts, insurance, and Director-level application.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bear Grylls Survival Academy delivers instructor-led wilderness survival training, family adventure experiences, and corporate team-building events under the Bear Grylls brand. It operates its own branded adventure courses in the UK and licenses the BGSA brand and curriculum to international partners who deliver courses in additional countries.

Product overview

Bear Grylls Survival Academy is a survival training and adventure experience company operating under Mantis Entertainment Ltd, launched in the UK in 2012. The company offers a portfolio of survival courses, expeditions, and corporate team building events. Survival courses include multi-hour/day experiences at various global locations (UK, UAE, Greece, South Africa, India) covering skills such as fire building, shelter construction, navigation, foraging, and wilderness first aid. Expeditions include extended multi-destination trips to Antarctica/South Africa (The Trident) and Morocco/Sahara (Sahara to Summit). Corporate offerings include outdoor team building events, indoor simulation workshops (Indoor Summit), and bespoke tailored events. The company also operates a global licensee program with partners across 9 countries offering BGSA-branded experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Survival Courses
• Family Adventures
• Corporate Team Building
• Bespoke Private Events
• BGSA Expeditions
• BGSA Licensee Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8/5 average rating on Primal Survival Adventure (South Downs)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Aiglon College (Switzerland)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2023Located in Switzerland. A BGSA Licensee since 2023. BGSA experiences integrated into Mountain School and Summer School programmes for students.
• Huitong School (China)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2022Located in Shenzhen, China. BGSA Licensee since 2022. Offers the Young Survivors Programme to students at the international school.
• Sani Resort (Greece)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 June 2021Five-star luxury resort in Halkidiki, Greece. Courses launched 1 June 2021. Offers 4-hour family survival course and 2-hour teen course. Courses delivered within Sani's 1,000-acre eco-reserve, 7km of beaches, and forest trails.
• Founders Lodge (Mantis Collection, South Africa)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2021Five-star game reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Courses launched in 2021. BGSA Kids Conservation Warriors Programme including 2-hour kids adventure experience. Also serves as final destination on The Trident expedition.
• Parkdean Resorts (UK)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2021A BGSA Licensee since 2021. Offers Shipwrecked experience at 9 sites across the UK. Part of the Parkdean Resorts holiday park network.
• Bear Grylls Explorers Camp (UAE)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2019Located in Wadi Shah, Ras al Khaimah, 750 yards from Jebel Jais Mountain. A BGSA licensee since 2019. Offers full-day adventure courses, 24-hour adult and family survival courses, and 48-hour adult survival courses. Bear-branded accommodation launched March 2021.
• Giltedge TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGiltedge Travel is the exclusive booking partner for The Trident expedition (Antarctica & South Africa). They handle domestic flights, transfers, and accommodation for the 9-day journey. Giltedge acts as the primary point of contact throughout the booking process for The Trident.
• Ultimate Adventure TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUltimate Adventure Travel is the exclusive booking partner for the Sahara to Summit expedition (Morocco). They manage all local travel arrangements and serve as the point of contact for booking queries and updates for the 8-day Morocco expedition.
• NRMA Parks and Resorts (Australia)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner5 sites across Australia offering BGSA Shipwrecked experience. NRMA Parks and Resorts is part of the NRMA network.
• Hawar Resort by Mantis (Bahrain)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHawar Resort by Mantis in Bahrain offers the Bear Grylls Adventure Zone as part of its leisure offerings.
• Rocksport (India)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLocated in Bangalore, India. Offers the 24-hour Bannerghatta Survival Challenge. Courses available January 2026 – March 2027 with limited availability. Booked through challenge.rocksport.in.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outward Bound Trust: UK-based outdoor education charity delivering residential adventure programmes focused on personal development, team building, and survival-style challenges. Direct peer in offering corporate leadership development and youth outdoor programmes inspired by wilderness expeditions.
• British Exploring Society: UK charity running youth adventure expeditions to remote wilderness locations including the Himalayas, Amazon, and Sahara. Comparable to BGSA's expedition model (The Trident, Sahara to Summit), particularly for youth and personal development outdoor programmes.
• Ray Mears / Woodlore: UK bushcraft and wilderness survival school founded by celebrity outdoorsman Ray Mears. Directly comparable to BGSA in offering survival skills courses, bushcraft training, and corporate team building experiences, serving similar UK and international customer segments.
• NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School): US-based global wilderness education provider offering expedition courses, leadership training, and outdoor skills programmes. Direct peer in delivering multi-day wilderness expeditions with survival curricula, with comparable pricing and corporate leadership offerings.
• Lost Earth Adventures: UK outdoor adventure and team building provider offering survival courses, corporate away days, and bespoke adventure events. Direct peer to BGSA in delivering UK-based outdoor survival and team building experiences with comparable pricing.
• Wildgoose Events: UK corporate team building provider specialising in outdoor challenge-based events for corporate clients. Directly comparable to BGSA's corporate outdoor team building business, with similar client base (FTSE companies, L&D teams) and bespoke event model.
• Woodland Ways: UK bushcraft and survival skills school offering multi-day wilderness courses, family programmes, and corporate events. Direct peer to BGSA in delivering survival training (fire, shelter, foraging) and corporate team experiences across UK venues.
• Lemon & Lime Events: UK corporate events and team building provider offering bespoke outdoor and indoor challenge-based experiences. Direct peer to BGSA's corporate team building and bespoke events business, serving similar enterprise customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Go Ape: UK's largest outdoor adventure activity operator running high ropes, zip lines, and team challenge courses across 30+ UK sites. Comparable to BGSA in delivering outdoor adventure experiences to consumers and corporate groups, but broader incumbent across multiple adventure categories rather than survival-focused.
• Bear Grylls Adventure (Merlin Entertainments): Birmingham NEC-based indoor adventure attraction operated by Merlin Entertainments under Bear Grylls licence, featuring iFLY, freefall, archery, and high ropes. Broad incumbent peer leveraging the same celebrity brand via a different (indoor theme park) format owned by a major leisure operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bear-grylls-survival-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bear Grylls Survival Academy